The Broncos need a quarterback and next week they’ll get a good look at some candidates who could be their guy for 2018.

The initial rosters for the Senior Bowl were released Thursday and the North team, coached by the Broncos, will include Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, Wyoming standout Josh Allen and Washington State’s Luke Falk.

The Broncos requested to coach Mayfield in the Senior Bowl, and last December the Broncos’ contingent of general manager John Elway and director of player personnel Matt Russell stood on the sidelines of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise to watch Josh Allen throw three touchdowns in his final college game.

Both players are projected to be first-round picks, possibly within the top five.

The Broncos own the No. 5 pick in the draft and, depending on their plan in free agency, could select one of the highly touted quarterbacks in this year’s class to take over as their starter for the short- and/or the long-term.

“Obviously, it’s not ideal, but I would say this: I did it. It was tough,” Elway said of starting as a rookie quarterback. “You drink through a fire hose. But then again, if you make it through that, you have a chance to be tough enough to handle it in this league, too. You have to play it by ear. The personality, if it is a young guy — what’s his personality? Where do you think he is? We have to formulate that plan. With that being said, the number one goal is we know we have to get better at that position.”

The Broncos will arrive in Mobile, Ala., Monday and will hold three practices with their team next week, in addition to multiple team and positional meetings to gain a close look at players on the field and off. On Jan. 27, the North team will square off against the South, coached by the Houston Texans, for a final football showcase before focus shifts to the NFL combine, held in Indianapolis in late February.

It’s been 29 years since the Broncos coached in the Senior Bowl, but over the last eight years, nearly two dozen of their draft picks competed in the college all-star game. And this year, the Broncos head to Alabama with numerous holes to fill and many decisions to make.

Free agency and the trading period begin March 14, and Denver could be a big player as it rebuilds following two playoff-less season. What they see — or don’t see — in Alabama could sway their decisions.

Nicki Jhabvala is the lead Broncos and NFL beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving at The Post in 2014, she spent nearly two years as a senior staff editor at The New York Times and five years at Sports Illustrated.